Ban: World facing biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time

18.04.2016 08:02 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
As of the last week, while speaking in Washington DC within an event on forced displacement co-hosted by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Bank, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the world is facing the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of the modern era, UN Radio reports.
As to the report, the UN Chief called on global leaders, especially those in Europe, to show «greater solidarity» by offering not just aid, but resettlement and other safe legal pathways to help refugees, those displaced and asylum seekers.
It is to be admitted, as to the UN estimates, about 60 million people are living now worldwide either as refugees, internally displaced or asylum seekers as result of conflict and persecution.
As to the report, Ban stressed that internal displacement and refugee crisis are signs of deeper challenges.
«I think we are facing the biggest refugee and displacement crisis of our time. This is not just a crisis of numbers, how many people we have to deal with, this is a crisis of solidarity; this is a matter of compassionate leadership for humanity,» Ban said.
Besides, Ban also shared his personal story of growing up as a refugee during the Korean War in the 1950s when he was just 6 years old.
He fled with his parents and recalled feeling hungry most of the time, but was able to benefit from aid distributed by the United Nations.
Ban Ki-moon said the organization was his «lifeline» at the time.